Pride and Joy
by Lightning802
Summary: Mr and Mrs Figgins are an elderly couple with two children. But once Layla, their daughter, finds out she's adopted from her older brother, a whole wave of secrets come flooding out. Are Isaac and Layla still their parents' pride and joy? Read and review. Also check out my other stories: My Life It's a secret... Thanks! Lightning802


**Pride and Joy**  
**Prologue-Part I**

**The elderly couple looked around their small dwelling, reminiscing over the good times they had shared. Mr and Mrs Figgins were an ordinary couple, very alike in behavior and appearance. They had lived at 58 Water Lily Lane together for over 60 years and had lived a peaceful life. They did have some hiccups though. The mortgage they had to pay, house bills, jobs, redundancy but most of all the lack of children. Just after they had moved into Number 58, they began wishing for children. After all, that was the reason they had settled on a new dwelling. But after a while they realised that there was something wrong. Mrs Figgins attended many doctors appointments only to be informed that she couldn't have children and was diagnosed with PID- Pelvic inflammatory disease. The couple were heartbroken and had no choice but to get on with their lives. Both at the age of 19, they got married. At the age of 24, Mr Figgins became a Lab technician in the science career and Mrs Figgins a Pastry chef in the culinary career. They got on with their lives trying to evolve it into something they had always dreamt of. After a couple of years Mr and Mrs had their 31st birthday. They were then advised by their PID doctor to consider adoption if they were so desperate to have children. And they were. But adoption didn't seem like a good idea at the time so they left it. And every day became a loop on a cassette player, it didn't stop but it certainly didn't change either.**

**48 years later the elderly couple looked around their small dwelling, reminiscing over the good times they had shared. Mr and Mrs Figgins were an ordinary couple, very alike in behavior and appearance. They had lived at 58 Water Lily Lane together for over 60 years and had lived a peaceful life. But their life was like a cassette. Never ending and never changing. Until this day. "Sweet pea?" Mrs directed at Mr. "Yes Mrs?" he replied, turning his head to smile at her. "I've been wondering. About the adoption situation and I think now is the right time." Mrs said. Mr looked confused and said to her, "No child is going to want parents who are in their late 70's. I don't think it's a good idea Mrs." Mr said shrugging and shaking his head. Mrs sighed before arguing her defense. "It is a good idea! Think about the child who we'll be giving a better life and if it doesn't go well, the social worker will always be at hand. Especially if we can't cope. Please Mr, our life is just a loop and I want to break it with a dream. A dream I have dreamt of for what seems like forever." Mr examined Mrs's dark skin which was almost completely free of wrinkles. There were some lines but they brought out her beautiful features. "I guess so."**

**Prologue-Part II**

**The couple wasted no time. The next day they had filled in an application form and sent it away. Mr had a patient attitude towards the whole situation while Mrs had an opposite reaction. She spent her time pacing around the house and looking out the windows, hoping to see a car with a social worker inside. The car drew up to their house 2 weeks later, just as Mrs had given up hope. The knock on the door chucked Mrs out of her dream and into reality. "Mr?" She called weakly. "Would you get that?" her voice sounded feeble against the echoing walls of their cottage. She let her head drop against the back rest on the chair, eagerly straining her ears to catch the conversation next to the door. After catching snippets of the conversation she realised what it was about. Mrs leaped out of her chair and bounced down the hallway. Mr was just inviting the young women in and Mrs immediately took charge and lead the way into the lounge. "So you are Mr and Mrs Figgins, correct?" The women asked lifting her head up from her clipboard to examine the couple. Mr and Mrs nodded and the women turned to face her clipboard again. "Both 79 years old, correct?" She asked. Again, Mr and Mrs nodded in agreement. "Well, my name is Shelly Baxter and I will be yours and the child's social worker." Shelly smiled warmly at the couple. "Now, I have read through your application form with one of my colleagues and together we have seen you fit to adopt." Shelly concluded. "Really!?" Mrs cried in delight. "Thank you so so so much! I don't know how Mr and I could ever thank you!" Mrs said gratefully, however Shelly just cast her a confused look. "So, your names are actually Mr and Mrs?" She said. "Well, neither of our parents gave us names, it was a family tradition." Mr piped up. Shelly looked even more confused and asked "Your not planning on... um.. actually KEEPING this tradition?... Right?" Mrs couldn't help letting out a snort of amusement. "Of course not," Mrs scoffed. "It was all just a very stupid tradition. That's what made us name ourselves Mr and Mrs. Imagine the difficulty in calling for one of us out of a crowd." Mrs continued. "Now, I just have a few more questions to make sure you are a suitable family." Shelly concluded.**  
**"Do either of you drink or smoke?"**  
**"No."**  
**"Good. Have either of you been abused or abused others?"**  
**"Nope and no."**  
**"If I'm correct this was an arranged marriage. Right?"**  
**"Yes."**  
**"Are you a happy couple although it was not a chosen marriage by you?"**  
**"We are extremely happy. They couldn't have made a better match."**  
**"So there's no chance you'll be having a break up?"**  
**"No."**  
**"Do either of you suffer from any mental or physical illnesses that could effect the child's lifestyle?"**  
**"Nope, we're as fit as fiddle's! Well I do suffer from PID, but I can't see how that would make a difference."**  
**"Well that's all in that front." Shelly said happily. "However I will have to ask you some questions on what age and gender you would like to adopt at. Any preferences?" Shelly said looking at them expectantly. Mr and Mrs didn't know what to say. This was something they had wanted to do since the discovery of Mrs's suffering from PID. But they had never thought as far as the age and gender. "I think we'd like... um... a girl!" Mrs said nervously. Shelly continued to stare at her, obviously expecting an age. "About two or three. You know toddler age." Mr interrupted. Shelly eagerly scribbled the information down while nodding her head, half in agreement and half with content. "Well, I think that will be all. I will be in contact with you and the agreement of your new child." Shelly concluded gathering up her papers and pencils. Mrs smiled warmly at her. "We should be saying thank you. You are the one who is making our life-long dreams come true." And with that, Mrs lead Shelly to the door with Mr following behind. Mrs waved goodbye and shut the door firmly behind Shelly. The couple stared at each other for a while before pulling the other into a hug that said everything.**

**Prologue-Part III**

**A couple of days later, Mr and Mrs received a letter with all the information they needed inside. **

**To Mr and Mrs Figgins,**  
**We are delighted to inform you that you are have passed as a suitable couple for adopting. On the 4th of October your house must be ready for the new arrival as Shelly Baxter, your social worker, will be visiting for two main ordeals. Firstly a house check. This will be to confirm your house will be suitable for a two year old girl because for the second ordeal Shelly Baxter will be driving you to the suitable location where, if you have passed the house check, you will meet your new daughter. As you have chosen a young child, she has not yet been named and the pleasure is yours. After the meeting, the child will come home with you and for five hours everyday for a week, Shelly Baxter will be present in your home to record your behavior. The recommended timing is from ten in the morning till three in the afternoon. **

**Another matter we would like to inform you on is that for six months, house checks will occur twice a week on a Monday and a Friday. These are to confirm your suitability for adoption is not a short-term excitement. **

**Thank You for your co-operation,**  
**Mr Hagald Philips**

**After reading the letter 7 times through, Mr and Mrs wrote the date on their calendar and smiled at each other. "Layla." Mr sighed. "Speak up poppet, I didn't quite catch that." Mrs said smiling. Mr looked at her and repeated, "Our daughter will be called Layla."**

**Chapter One**  
**The Wedding**

**'Layla**- See _Leila_. Arabic for Dark Beauty.'  
I slammed the book shut, frustrated. Why can't my parents just tell me why they named me Layla? They are a secretive couple. I mean, I don't even know their names! Or why they are dark skinned, I am tanned and Isaac is Pale with freckles. Or why Isaac has dark reddish hair, they have brown hair and I have black. I looked around my tiny room which I shared with Isaac. Well in a couple of days time, his blue single-bed would no longer be pushed against the far wall. Soon it would be my own room. The wedding is in two months time, but Adrianna is moving in tomorrow because the building is nearly done. Adrianna is Isaac's fiancee. She's really nice and I'd love to have her as a sister. But Isaac's been really weird lately. Like, weirder than he usually is. I mean Adrianna was pregnant for over three months and she didn't tell him AND he didn't notice. And he's a doctor.

"Listen B, I'll have to talk to you after the wedding, love you. Bye sweet heart." My brother said on the phone. I know I shouldn't eavesdrop but this was interesting. " Who's B?" I questioned Isaac as I come out from behind the door where I had been hiding. "Oh! It's just you. You scared me Layla." In my head I wanted to say 'You scare me'. But I knew better. "Who's B?" I repeated refusing to let the topic drop although inside I was quaking. What was he going to do to me? "It's none of your business. Just a cousin... You don't know her." He said staring at his feet. Had I caught Isaac doing something...bad? "What are you up to?" I said curiously. "Listen it's nothing, I'll tell you a secret your dying to know if you promise to just butt out. Okay?" Isaac said fiercely. A blank look had crossed my face. What was he planning to tell me? "We're adopted. Now shut your gigantic mouth and buzz off." That hurt. Not just the secret, also the second part. Isaac and I were always quite close, but in the past few years, since he graduated, he's been a bully. Like we're not related. But then again, using the information he just told me... maybe we aren't related. That would explain all my questions on our gene pools. But why had mum and dad not told me? I'm nearly sixteen for gods sake! In that moment I forgot Isaac was standing next to me, but he butted into my private thoughts. "Know why mum and dad told me but never you? Because your the golden child! And the only thing they care about is you!" he shouted. I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Probably ruining my makeup. "I'm sorry." he said, his eyes examined me to see how I was taking this. "That was totally out of line. I'm reall really sorry." he said before grabbing me into a bear hug. "I'm stuck, Layla. I have made the most stupidest decisions ever based on our family life." He said looking me in the eye. I looked up at him curiously. "What have you done?"


End file.
